The Best Make Ahead Air Fryer Recipes

We all know that your air fryer is a great way to cook a meal quickly. But did you know it’s also perfect for meal prepping? That’s because you can easily prepare a variety of freezer meals and reheat them in the air fryer for quick and easy dinner prep.

So, if you’re looking for the best way to speed up dinner time in your house, you need to check out some of these make ahead air fryer recipes. collage of photos of different meals

Freezer Meals for the Air Fryer

Make Ahead Air Fryer Snacks and Appetizers

These appetizers are great for serving at parties or for a snack.

More Freezer Friendly Air Fryer Recipes

Find even more Air Fryer freezer meals in the Freezer Meals 101 Club where you can also create custom meal plans, shopping lists, prep lists, and printable labels.

Can I Use an Air Fryer for Meal Prep?

Taking the time to plan your weekly menu and prep your food is a simple way to save time and money. And that’s why using your air fryer is a great option for meal planning. It’s designed to make cooking and meal prep simple by speeding up the cook time of your dishes.

And there are a variety of ways you can use your air fryer as you’re planning your family’s meals each week, including:

Prepping ingredients. If you need to pre-cook ingredients in your recipe before you freeze the meal, why not use your air fryer? The appliance is great for roasting vegetables, cooking meat, and making food crispy.
Cooking your freezer meals. After prepping and freezing your make-ahead meals, you can also use your air fryer to reheat the recipes. Make sure to allow the ingredients to thaw completely in the refrigerator before cooking them in the air fryer for best results.
Reheating leftovers. After your family enjoys their meal, you might have some leftovers to enjoy the next day. Instead of heating them in the microwave, pop them in the air fryer for a minute or two to reheat them!

What Size Air Fryer Do I Need for Meal Prepping?

To make the most of your time in the kitchen, it’s important to have the right equipment! So, finding the perfect air fryer is essential if you plan on using it for regular meal prepping. The size of the air fryer you’ll need to prepare your family’s meals will depend on how much food you plan to cook at one time.

If you’re cooking for two, a smaller air fryer with a basic basket is a great, budget-friendly choice. But if you’re cooking for a big family, it may be a good idea to invest in a larger, higher-end model to use when preparing your food.

What Food Can You Not Put in an Air Fryer?

While there are tons of foods you can prepare in your air fryer with amazing results, there are a few types of foods that just don’t work in this handy appliance. As you’re planning your menu for the week, skip these types of foods if you want to use your air fryer.

Soups and stews. Any type of watery, soupy food won’t work in an air fryer. That’s because air circulates through the appliance constantly, which could cause the liquid to splash and make a mess. Not to mention the fact that most air fryer baskets and trays are designed with holes to allow the air to flow properly.
Saucy recipes. Like soups and stews, recipes with runny sauce can also get very messy in an air fryer. It’s better to cook anything with a runny sauce on your stovetop or in the oven.
Casseroles. If you’re planning on preparing a large casserole dinner for your family, you might want to rethink the air fryer. The appliance’s small size could cause issues. And you may run into problems with uneven cooking, resulting in a casserole with a burnt top and undercooked center.
Cheesy meals. Although adding a small amount of cheese to your air fryer recipes is fine, if your meal calls for extra cheese, you might want to use a different cooking method. Cheese can melt very quickly in the air fryer, resulting in a mess if you aren’t careful.

Get your freezer stacked so you can relax.